Hepatitis A Information

We have been made aware that a member of our Dupont Middle School community has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The individual is not involved with food handling. We are working closely with the Kanawha Charleston Health Department to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our students, staff and families.

Hepatitis A is not an airborne disease, but it can be contagious. It affects the liver, and can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dark urine, and yellowing of the skin and eyes. Children under the age of six years might not show all of these symptoms when they are infected with Hepatitis A. Symptoms often last several weeks, however, long term infection does not occur.

Hepatitis A vaccination is the best way to prevent infection. Many children have already received this vaccination as part of their routine shots, but if your child has not received the hepatitis A vaccine, we encourage you to contact your pediatrician or family physician. The Health Department has not recommended children to stay home from school, even if they have not been vaccinated.

The Kanawha Charleston Health Department is continuing to investigate this situation. We will continue to keep you updated as to what is happening within our school community. If you have any questions you can call the Kanawha Charleston Health Department’s Epidemiology Division at 304-348-1088 or Kanawha County Schools Health Services at 304-348-6694. As always, the health and safety of our students is our primary concern.